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House GOP cancels immigration votes in setback for Ryan’s amnesty

House GOP cancels immigration votes in setback for Ryan’s amnesty

Staring at a certain defeat, House Republicans canceled votes on their immigration compromise Thursday — an embarrassing setback for leaders who thought they had finally been able to wrangle some unanimity on an issue that has bedeviled them for years.

Lawmakers emerged from a closed-door evening meeting to say their new goal is a vote sometime next week, after they try to make tweaks to win over conservatives while keeping moderates on board.

The vote on the “moderate” compromise bill was postponed just hours after a more conservative bill failed in the House by a 231-193 vote. More than three dozen Republicans joined Democrats to kill the legislation.

Worried about a twin rejection on the same day, Republican leaders decided on a cooling-off period.

“The worst thing for us to do would be to fail,” said Rep. Tom Cole, Oklahoma Republican. “I think people desperately want to get to ‘yes.’”

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At stake is the fate of hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrant “Dreamers,” stiffer border security and President Trump’s goals of limiting the chain of family migration and ending the visa lottery.

Republican leaders thought they had an agreement between conservatives and moderates, but the conservatives balked, saying the bill had too many mistakes and didn’t do enough to pressure businesses against hiring illegal immigrants.

The conservatives wanted the bill to require the use of E-Verify, the government’s currently voluntary system for electronically checking a new hire’s work eligibility.

But if E-Verify is added, farm-region lawmakers said, they have to see a guest-worker program for agriculture so farms won’t lose their workforce, much of which is unauthorized.

“While we’ve all been in negotiations for the last several weeks, we feel like we’ve continued these good discussions on, but two new issues came up,” said Rep. Jeff Denham, a California Republican who had been leading negotiations for the moderates.

“We’re going to spend the weekend, delay a vote [until] next week and see if we can come to a compromise on those two final issues,” Mr. Denham said.

Some conservatives are opposed to anything that includes a pathway to citizenship and are unlikely to be won over. But other conservatives say their support is winnable so long as the bill makes major strides in border security, including firm funding for Mr. Trump’s border wall.

Mr. Trump called in to the Republican meeting, looking to urge the bill along.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen weighed in earlier this week, making the case for the more moderate legislation.
But with success looking elusive, Republicans across the spectrum have begun to pin blame for failure on Democrats.

“Democrats have taken a walk on this thing,” said House Speaker Paul D. Ryan, Wisconsin Republican.

Mr. Trump was more pointed: “They don’t care about the children. They don’t care about the injury, they don’t care about the problems.”

Yet it’s disunity within the Republican ranks that has sunk every effort to pass broad immigration legislation in the House for more than a decade, and those divisions were on display Thursday.

Conservatives griped that they felt abandoned by their leaders. They pointed to the more conservative bill that failed Thursday and said if Mr. Trump, the administration and Mr. Ryan had put more effort behind it, they may have been able to pass it.

“They told us they were way short — what I saw today on the floor was 193 votes — that’s pretty darn close to what [we’d] need to pass that,” said Rep. Jim Jordan, Ohio Republican.

Centrist Republicans accused conservatives of abandoning the core of an agreement they thought they had reached.

Republican leaders had planned votes on two bills, both of them sponsored by Rep. Bob Goodlatte, Virginia Republican and chairman of the Judiciary Committee. One bill, written months ago, would have codified the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program into law, curtailed family migration, ended the diversity lottery, authorized the wall, boosted criminal penalties for illegal immigration, surged more resources to border enforcement and punished sanctuary cities.

The legal status for DACA recipients was too much for some conservatives, while the lack of a full pathway to citizenship was too little for some moderates.
Forty-one Republicans joined 190 Democrats in opposition.

“We’re not going to let hatred, bigotry and xenophobia prevail in this country,” said Rep. Zoe Lofgren, a California Democrat who helped lead opposition to the bill.

But the vote on the conservative bill did serve Republican leaders’ purposes by officially derailing the petition drive that moderates and Democrats launched to try to force debate on a Democrat-backed bill that would have combined a generous pathway to citizenship for perhaps 2 million illegal immigrants with promises of future border security.

That petition drive was tied to the conservative legislation, so by bringing the bill to the floor — even in defeat — the petition fell.

Some moderate Republicans said they could start another petition drive next month, though they would have an even bigger climb and only a couple of weeks to gather signatures before the next window for action closes.

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From the article above: “But if E-Verify is added, farm-region lawmakers said, they have to see a guest-worker program for agriculture so farms won’t lose their workforce, much of which is unauthorized.” Let the healthy people on welfare pick crops. Secondly, like Mark Levin stated this morning on Fox and Friends, why is the Congress “compromising” on immigration? Our border should be 100% secure. Thirdly, Paul RINO Ryan can go to you know where with his “compromise” for our border! Trump should put the military on the border, backed by tanks and helicopter gun ships!

Why do these lawmakers, Republican and Democrat alike, keep pretending that we all want amnesty? 80% of America wants no part of any amnesty. They are fooling noone with this scam of theirs, but they’ll keep pushing it for votes for Democrats and cheap labor for the Republican lobbyists and donors. This is not representing American citizens and our interests, this is just another ploy for power and wealth for themselves and damn the country!

The amnesty is a result of pushing the absurd claim that all people are equal to its extreme.

What we here see are hordes of invasive “migrants” that slowly and steadily are transforming America into a Third-World hellhole. Yet the “Liberal” ideologues attempt to cripple our defenses against the invasion by calling those who try to stop it “racists”.

Yeah, right. If bunch of assertive and opportunistic aliens who don’t look like you, don’t act like you, don’t think like you, and don’t obey the law like you, are claiming “their” share in the fruits of your hard work, and you refuse to let them take part of your property, country, and liberty away from you then – according to “Liberal” propaganda – you are a “racist”.

And the only way how you can prove that your are not a “racist” is to give to the invading hordes about everything they want of a silver plate.

Well, we have already tried to prove we are not “racists” by letting Obama into the white House.And the effect of that? The political hyenas from the left are accusing us of “racism” even more than before Obama’s election.

Teaparty, its because for YEARS< polls have shown illegal aliens who got amnesty before all vote democrat. SO THEY ARE HOPING if they get another amnesty pushed through, their voter rolls will swell up..

Let them have amnesty….as soon as they have paid any and all fines as well as local, state and federal back taxes. Then make them prove that they are law abiding, productive members of society, that can speak, read and write English.
Should be able to process all the applications in an afternoon, with time for a long coffee break.

The sweet potato region of my state uses Mexican workers extensively. But they do it right. The same people come and work every year and then go home. The farmers provide them with lodging and other support. If they can do it why can’t the others. Greed!!!

But why can’t they get Americans to do that work? Why must they make use of mexican workers so extensively? IF SOMEONE’s on welfare, and they REFUSE that job, and there’s no medical reason they CAN’T do that job, they should immediately LOSE welfare.

Because illegals work for half because they don’t pay taxes, their families get free housing, food, medical care, 4 families to a house and no medical insurance, usually no car insurance, no property taxes…..

There are a lot of reasons why Americans CANNOT work for that much less.

It blows my mind that any of these so called law makers would even be considering handing FREEDOM to these illegals. How dare they. These freeloaders have been here long enough on the tax payers dime, its time to send most of them back let them come here legally, Learn English and damn it STOP PRESSING 1 FOR ENGLISH every thing is handed to these law breakers. you can’t find one thing that doesn’t have Spanish written on it. I am fed up with all these people coming here and getting everything they want. Bring their kids here and drop them off for us to take care of then we have a bunch of big mouth protestors BASHING TRUMP for what the DEMOCRATS did years ago. passed a law that takes away illegal kids from their illegal parents. Now these brain dead idiots wants OUR PRESIDENT to break the laws, freaking ridiculous. If you want your kids to stay with you DON’T COME TO THE BORDERS and drop them off like this country is a day care center.If these Politicians hand over amnesty to thousands of illegals,. that is a slap in the face and a kick in the @$$ to every person who worked hard to become citizens legally, and that will just open the doors to have thousands more come here. NO MORE ILLEGALS. we have way to many now.

I agree totally, they need to build the WALL then go after the 12 million illegals that are already here before even thinking about allow more in out country. Seems our elected officials are pathetic yellow belly cowards we have the majority and they can’t do anything but bicker among themselves. We need a real house leader Paul Ryan is a pathetic piece of work Rhino and it is time for him to step down and let us have someone who will do the job right and get something accomplished and shares the same values as our (my) President Donald Trump.

The “establishment” has been using that 12 million figure for decades now, and all the while more and more invaders arrive across our borders.., I’m sure that the REAL number would be minimally 30 million…

Being we’ve seen 200k+ each and every year for the past 2 decades, cross that border. HOW ANYONE IN THEIR RIGHT MINDS can still think there is only 11-12 million illegals here, obviously lacks a bloody brain!

IMO NO Foreigner, even those LEGALLY HERE say on tourist visas, who pop out a kid, SHOULD EVER HAVE that baby be considered a US Citizen.
YOU SHOULD BE required to have at least ONE of the parents being an American citizen, before that occurs..
AND THAT GOES Doubly so for those who are illegal invaders!!!!

All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

Subject to the jurisdiction – REQUIRES the FULL KNOWLEDGE AND CONSENT of the ‘jurisdiction’.

Interestingly enough, I was talking with my granddaughter (14 years old) the other day and she asked me, “Why is everyone blaming President Trump for the border mess?” Then she went on to say, it’s the parent’s fault for trying to bring their children into our country illegally and our lawmakers that have allowed illegals to be here in the first place isn’t it? EXACTLY. Here she is 14 and she gets it.

Ryan was an acolyte of the original ‘OrangeMan’, none other than former Weeper of the House and Obama butt-boy, John Boehner. You were expecting something different? Remember, the Swamp will not go quietly into the night. The MUST be defeated at the ballot box! Watch where Ryan lands after he leaves. Can you say cushy six figures? You have to hand it to the inside the Beltway and K-Street crowd. They know how to reward their ilk for ‘services rendered.’ It’s almost a classic that the chain smoking Boehner gets a gig with an ag operation that will be providing pot heads with their ‘recreational’ supplies. Think of the vertical integration possibilities. You know…..Beohner Bongs, John Joints, etc.

Have you noticed the every “compromise” on immigration only allows more illegals to stay for the greedy rulers of this country? Where is the compromise that enforces the law and puts them out? Sadly you won’t see it.

Why support any type of amnesty for the DACA crowd? The American taxpayer has already funded their free education, paid for their food under SNAP, WIC, and school breakfast and lunch programs, and subsidized much of their housing expenses. Now, they “demand” their rights and call us racists because their law-breaking parents violated our borders. For the very few who have served honorably in the military, I would recommend that they be eligible for citizenship. (Their numbers are actually lower than MS-13 gang members.) Others, who at least have self-sustaining jobs, should possibly be permitted to stay – but no path to citizenship. Additionally, Congress should authorize full funding for the wall – even if it requires donations. No other bill is acceptable.

I am glad it failed. RINO’s once again are trying to sell us out. Build the wall, end chain migration, let DACA kids get in the back of the line for their chance at citizenship. Why let them jump in front of the law abiding people who are taking the legal path to citizenship.

I must be missing something. H-2A visas, agricultural and slaughter house jobs, do not have a cap. IOW as many as we need can get a visa. Have the farmers/employers send in the photo and biometric information for each worker and if they meet the requirements and don’t have a criminal record issue them a visa. Voila, they’re now legal workers. There would be no amnesty and no path to citizenship just from having this visa, they would have to meet other standards to become a citizen. At some point they’d need to show up at an office with their visa to verify they are who is on the card but that could happen in the off season.

We need tighter security for those coming in legally on a visa and then not leaving. For them there is no hearing (which is already the law), no amnesty and no path to citizenship, ever.

Build the wall to slow down illegals crossing the border. No more catch and release. Instead stop, identify with a photo and fingerprints, and then turn them around and send them back.

Even President George W. liked the illegals coming in. All of his rich buddies in Texas exploited their cheap labor. There are too many of these swamp Republicans to do anything. They are as bad as the the liberal Democrats, who have proven themselves to be worthless liars, plain and simple.

Failure of both parties to address illegal immigration is what elected Trump, and he is doing an excellent job. Republican RINOs who cave in to anti American democrats on the issue of immigration need to be looking for new jobs after the next election. Failure to address the illegal invasion of our country is nothing less than treason. I expect that from democrats but not republicans.

The best way to end all the sniveling and hanky wringing is bet a bunch of buses and send back all that are not facing felony charges. Just repair the parents with the kids load them on buses and kick them back across the boarder to Mexico. Let Chuckie and Crazy Eyes Pelosi snivel about that.

We are accused of hate and bigotry, but history reveals a different story. No honest person can say that we, the American people have not done more than our share to make this world a better place. Trying to stop an invasion of millions of the almost one billion who who live south of our border is not based on hatred, it is only doing the due diligence necesarry to preserve a viable country. If those who are forcing their way into our country had done theirs, they might have maintained a country worth being proud of and living in. Speaking for myself, I would be too proud to go begging to a neighbor for relief.